A Sleepy Stroll
by annonymouslyblonde
Summary: This is a little scene I created after a prompt from timepetalsprompts on tumblr. It's the first prompt I've ever done so constructive criticizes is welcome! A short tentoo x Rose story from the prompt: What happens when Rose goes sleepwalking? They're not on the TARDIS. I hope you like it!


Restlessly, the Doctor readjusted for the third time that night in the small arm chair. Rose insisted he take her bed after everything that happened, but he refused. He couldn't live with himself if he took her bed especially as exhausted as she looked. Her eyes drooped in a way he'd never seen before even during their adventuring on the TARDIS. But being the stubborn girl she is, Rose Tyler made the couch her bed for the night, hoping to guilt the Doctor into taking the bed. Unfortunately for her, he was just as strong-willed and slept in the chair.

For the past hour, he lazily observed the pictures and knickknacks Rose had collected during her time in this universe. His eye started to flutter shut as he hoped he would contribute to the collect soon. As he walked the border of sleeping and dreaming, a loud squeak caused him to shoot straight up and very nearly out of the chair. He grabbed the nearest thing he could weaponize, which happened to be a small vase, and prepared himself to defend Rose. The only problem was the squeak originated from a floor board under her foot.

"Rose?" He reached for her arm trying to grab her attention. "Rose, what are you doing up?" With no response, he feared the worse immediately jumping to the thought of the time the Sycorax used blood control. And him without a sonic.

"Rose, I need you to look at me." He jumped into front of her and backpedaled as she continued walked. "Rose, talk to me. Do something. Just tell me what's wrong."

"Doctor," she mumbled sleepily, continuing her way through the hall to the small exterior door. "Have to find the Doctor."

"I'm here, Rose. I'm right here." He pleaded for her to simply look at him, but her eyes didn't quite met his. They were glazed, almost dead-looking. As she reached into the small bowl that stood by the door, he finally realized this couldn't be blood control at all. Rose Tyler, his Rose, had started sleepwalking.

His realization only came as she was half way down the sidewalk. She had made her way down to the street, swaying from each side as she walked. No shoes, no coat, still dressed in sweatpants and a tank top. The Doctor ran after her, no shoes either, shouting her name into the night. As he reached for her to shake her awake, he remembered something about the dangers of waking a sleepwalker. Instead, he settled for walking quietly beside her, guiding her gently around debris.

Less than five minutes passed when they reached a small park in the neighborhood. Rose stopped in the middle of swings simply looking out into the night. He stood by her staring at all the stars he would never travel to again, but one look at his sleeping Rose and he knew he would never want to be anywhere besides with her again.

"Doctor," she questions, her voice much stronger this time. He turned toward her, finding her eyes fully alert albeit a bit confused. "Doctor?"

"Hello," he replied flashing her a grin. A rushed sign escaped her as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself as close as she could. He felt the warm tears falling onto his neck and held her tighter.

"Honestly, you seem more surprised that I'm here than by the fact that you just woke up in the middle of a park." Her breathing changed at what he meant to be a joke. She pulled away slightly, pressing her forehead against his chest and masking her face with her hair. "Rose, you aren't surprised we're not in the house, are you?" This time, she completely disentangled herself and walked over to the swings. With her back still to him, she sat down on the flimsy plastic and wrapped her arms around her torso.

"It's not the first time time to happen no." She whispered, barely audible over the breeze. He placed a hand on her back at first in comfort, but then turned into a steady push letting her swing just enough to skim her feet over the sand. "I've been sleepwalkin' awhile. Started back when I first got sucked into here. Mum and dad would find me all over the place. Finally, the started hidin' the keys away at night so I couldn't unlock the doors to get out anymore. After that, they had to tack down the windows. I used to wake up on beaches, in parks, even on the sidewalk outside the shops. Once we managed to keep me confined to the house, I would just wander around all the rooms at night apparently. After a while, the doctor prescribe me somethin' to help me sleep. I guess with everything that happened tonight, I forgot to take them. Gave mum a right scare for a while though. She said it was like I was lookin' for somethin'." She paused for a beat before amending her statement. "Lookin' for someone."

He grabbed hold of the chains to stop her descent. Walking around to the front, he crouched in front of her until she had no chose but to meet his eyes. "Rose, I am so-"

"Don't. Don't say it. You don't have to. Just promise me somethin'." Her eyes were pleading yet fiery intense simultaneously. "Promise me that I'm not gonna wake up one mornin' and not find you. That I'm not gonna wake up and have a swallowin' black hole where you used to be. I can't handle losin' you again."

"He placed his hands on her knees giving them a reassuring squeeze. "Rose Tyler, I am never gonna give you up. Never gonna let you down. Never gonna turn around and desert you." The perplexed look on her face made him stop and think. "Wait, hang on, no that's a Rick Astley song." By now a smile had lit up her face and a slight giggle bubbled from her. "But the point still stands!" He added.

"Oh, shut up." She gave him a slight nudge but just enough to knock him off balance. Instinctively his hands wrapped around her wrists, pulling her down with him. They hit the sand laughing and holding each other. After they settled a bit, she pushed up into her hands to look him in the eyes. Her hair hung like a curtain around them.

"Doctor," she started, but her next words didn't come as easily. He could tell she was struggling to say it. "Doctor, I-I." She worried her lip between her teeth and looked anywhere but him.

"He reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I know. Me too." She broke into the smile he loved seeing, the one that stretched across her whole face, the one where she stuck her tongue between her teeth. The one he hoped to put on her face every single day. Because that's what she deserved.

She closed the gap between them in a hungry kiss. A kiss for all the lost time. A kiss to make up for so many missed ones. A kiss with the promise of more to come. And to her, it was a promise that he'd never leave her again.


End file.
